Sewing-machine attachment



(No Model.) 2 8heets-8heot 1.

H.H.STRATTON. SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

No. 565,706. Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H.H.ST'RATTON. SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

No. 565,705. Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

are let into the side bars of the frame and.

- NITED STATES @PjATE-NT OFFICE...

HENRY STRATTON, OF JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE.

SEWING-MACHINEATTACHM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,705, dated August 1 I, 1896.

Application filed May 23, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY I'I. STRATTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ohnson City, in the county of Washington and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and illustrated in the drawings, and, finally pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved quilting frame and its supporting-carriage complete and constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an inside elevation of one end of one of the frame-bars of the quiltingframe, showing the retaining pawl and also showing, in dotted lines, the lower position of one of the end rollers. Fig; 3 is a sectional view showing the relative arrangement of one of the rollers and its retainingpawl with the end bar of the frame. Fig. '4: is also a sectional viewof the same parts, showing the manner in which the spindles of the rollers showing also the form of theretaining-pawl in cross-section. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of one of the retaining-pawls. Fig.6 is adetail view of the spindle, ratchet-wheel, spacing-hub, and the square shank, which are formed into one piece and applied to the ends of each roller. Fig. 7 is a broken view look.- ing toward the inner face of one of the side bars, showing the form of the slotted plate by means of which the central longitudinal frame and spacing-bar is secured at its ends to the frame end bars. Fig. Sis a longitudinal section through one of the end bars and the adjacent end of the longitudinal spacing-bar, showing the manner of connectingthejsame. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the Serial No. 550,442. (No model.)

carriage or hanger, showing the manner of securing the ends of the upper sections of the inclined supporting-rod. Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section through the same.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the end bars of the frame (indicated at 1) are preferably made of hard wood, may be of any desired length,

and are enlarged at either end and centrally to accommodate the several winding-rollers and the longitudinal spacing-bar hereinafter described. The end bars 1 are provided with retaining-plates '2 upon their inner adjacent faces, said plates being provided each with a pair of keyhole-slots 3 and arranged within recesses or depressions in the inner faces of the end bars so as to be flush therewith,

as indicated in Fig. 7, although, if preferred,

said retaining-plates may be simply secured to the inner faces of the end bars without being let into recesses or depressions, as shown in Fig. 8.

The slots 3 are adapted to permit the heads of screws secured to the ends of the spacingbar to pass through them, after which the screw-heads may be moved lengthwise of said end bars, so as to engage the shanks of the screws with the narrow portions of the keyhole-slots, in which position the screw-heads will engage against the outer opposite faces of the retaining-plates The end bars 1 have perforations 5 extending through them in line with the screw-heads 4 for permitting the point of a screwdriver to be passed through said perforations for the purpose of tightening the screws and affording a firm'and rigid connection between the end bars of the quilting-frame and'the longitudinal spacing-bar thereof, (indicated at 6.)

Three rollers 7, 8, and 9 are arranged within the frame above described, extending longitudinally from one end bar to the other and journaled therein. These rollers are preferably made of wood and are each provided at either end with spindles 10 and ratchetwheels 11. The spindle l0 and the adjacent ratchet-wheel are formed in one piece, and,

as will be seenby reference .to'Figt, the,

ratchet-wheel is provided upon its inner face with an integrally-formed spacing-hub 12, be-

yond which is an inwardly-extending square shank 13, all of said parts being preferably cast or otherwise formed in a single piece. The square shank 13 is inserted in a corre sponding socket in the end of its respective roller until the spacing-hub 12 abuts snugly against the adjacent end of the roller, and the spindle 10 is adapted to be inserted in a cylindrical socket 14:, a series of which is provided in the inner adjacent faces of the end bars 1. v

15 designates a pawl which is mounted upon the inner end of a threaded bolt 16, extending through the end bar 1, said pawl being secured in place by means of a thumbnut 17, by means of which the pawl is adapted to be tightened or loosened for holding the same in engagement with the ratchet-wheel 11 or for throwing the same out of engagement therewith when desired. The free end of the pawl 15 is considerably increased in width and is recessed upon its under side, as indicated at 18, a series of teeth 19 being formed within said recess for the purpose of engaging the ratchet-wheel 11. By means of this construction an oppositely-disposed pair of downwardly-projecting spacing-flanges 20 and 21 are formed, being adapted to lie upon either side of the ratchet-wheel, this arrange ment serving to regulate the distance betweeen the end bars and the adjacent ends of the rollers and to preserve the same in their proper working relation. The rollers being shorter than the space between the end bars 1, when the swinging end of the pawl 15 is introduced between the end bar to which it is pivoted and the adjacent end of its respec. tive roller the latter is not only prevented from rotating, but longitudinal movement of the roller is also prevented. By rocking the pawl out of engagement with the roller the latter may be moved longitudinally and its spindles thereby disengaged from the bearing-sockets in the end bars, thus allowing the said roller to be entirely removed from the quilting-frame.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the positions of the outside rollers 7 and 9 maybe changed as to their height. To accomplish this, either end of each end bar is provided with upper and lower cylindrical sockets 14, adapted to receive the spindles of said rollers, said sockets being equally distant from the pivotal bolt 16, upon which the pawl 15 is mounted, so that said pawl may engage the ratchet-wheel 11 when the roller is adjusted to either position. This provision is made in order that the material from which the quilt is to be made may be drawn tightly beneath the central longitudinal spacing-bar 6, above referred to.

Each of the rollers has a piece of fabric tacked or otherwise secured around the same. The material of which the top of the quilt is to be formed, and indicated at 22, is stitched at one edge to the roller 8 and wound thereon. The lining (indicated at 23) is stitched at one end to the fabric surrounding the roller 9. The top material passes beneath the longitudinal spacing-bar 6 and the lining passes beneath the top 22, the forward edges of the top and lining being both stitched to the fabric surrounding the roller 7. The cotton is introduced between the top and the lining by placing it upon the lining between the rollers 8 and 9, and as the front roller 7 is revolved said cotton is fed in between the top and the lining in a manner that will be readily understood.

The traveling carriage or hanger, by means of which the quilting-frame is supported, comprises an oppositely-disposed pair of side plates or bars 24, connected at their upper ends by means of a strip 25 and spaced a sufficient distance apart to receive between them a pair of grooved pulleys 26, mounted upon transverse shafts arranged at either end of the carriage or hanger. The side bars or pieces of the carriage are provided with grooves, oppositely arranged upon the inner faces thereof, and at or near their bottom edges, as shown in Fig. 10, and within said grooves is mounted a removable base-strip 27, extending longitudinally the full length of the carriage.

28 indicates a block extending longitudinally of the carriage and located beneath the same, said block being provided with inclined perforations at either end for the reception of the upper headed ends of inclined supporting-rods 29, said block being also provided with an upwardly-extending rib 30, entering a corresponding socket in the lower face of the base-strip 27 ,by means of which the block 28 is held in proper position with relation to the carriage, said block being secured by means of a bolt 31, passing vertically through alined perforations in the base 27 and block 28 and having a thumb-nut 32, by means of which the block may be clamped firmly against the lower edges of the side bars 2 1 of the carriage. The object of this construction is to provide means whereby the carriage may be placed upon and removed from the usual overhead wire 33. This may be done by loosening the thumb-nut 32, when the base-strip 27 may be withdrawn longitudinally from the grooves in the inner walls of the side bars 24. After the grooved pulleys 26 have been engaged with and placed upon the wire 33, the base-strip 27 may again be inserted and clamped in place by means of the thumb-nut 32.

The inclined rods or supports 29 are each made in two sections, the lower sections being connected with the quilting-frame, and preferably with the longitudinal spacing-bar 6 thereof. The adjacent ends of the rod-sections are screw-threaded to receive turnbuckles 34, by means of which the length of the inclined supporting-rods 29 may be increased or diminished for adjusting the height of the quilting-frame with a view to rendering the same capable of being used in connection with sewing-machines of different kinds.

In operation it will of course be understood that by means of the supporting-wire and carriage the quilting-frame is adapted to be moved bodily across the sewing-machine table and in the path of the needle, during which movement a line of stitches is formed across the material of which the quilt is to be composed, said stitches extending longitudinally of the quilting-frame. Having completed one line of stitches, the pawls are manipulated in such manner as to enable the windingroller 7 to be partially revolved for bringing another portion of the material of the quilt into line with the path in which the needle travels, all of which is'well understood in the art to which this invention belongs.

It will be apparent that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

In a quilting-frame attachment for sewingmachines, the combination with a longitudinal spacing-bar, of end bars secured thereto and provided with bearing-sockets, rollers arranged between said end barsand of a length less than the space between the same and having their spindles journaled in said sockets, a ratchet-disk at one end of each roller, and a pawl for said ratchet-disk pivoted to one of the end bars, the swinging end of said pawl being adapted to rest between the said end bar and the adjacent end of the roller,whereby the latter is heldagainst rotation and also 

